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MHG28188 - Evelyn Rose: Ardtornish Point, Sound of Mull

Summary

A wreck located during a remote sensing exercise of 2004 which has been tentatively identified as the Evelyn Rose.

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status

Full Description

NM64SE 8004 6920 4250
N56 31.05 W5 45.2

Formerly NM64SE 9058 6913 4246

EVELYN ROSE, 327 tons, was sunk in the Sound of Mull with the loss of 12 lives. Two survivors managed to reach the shore at Ardtornish Point.
The sinking occurred about 1.00am on the morning of New Year's Eve. The trawler, which had left Fleetwood early on Thursday morning was bound for the Faroes. Shortly after midnight she was making westerly up the Sound of Mull. It was a calm night with a fresh breeze and good visibility. According to one of the survivors, all were asleep except the skipper and two deckhands who were on watch. About 1.00am the vessel struck hard on the mainland, almost at the Ardtornish light, and before a lifeboat could be launched, she slipped off the rocks astern and went right down into 20 fathoms of water. The two men saved were more or less washed off the deck. The bodies of two others were later found washed ashore.
The EVELYN ROSE was commanded by skipper W.Dawson of Fleetwood. She was registered in Grimsby, and operated from Fleetwood, owned by the Cevic Steam Fishing Co. of Fleetwood.
Source; Oban Times Saturday 8th January 1955

EVELYN ROSE, built Cochrane and Son, Selby in 1918, wreck not located.
Source; Moir and Crawford 1994.

EVELYN ROSE, reported to have been seen on an echosounder, lying almost vertically with her bows in at least 60m and the rest of the vessel extending down to even deeper depths.
Source; Baird 1995. <1>

EVELYN ROSE, rocky boulder slope leads to sand and shingle at 28 metres where the vessel lies.
Source; Ridley 1985 <2>

Remote sensing surveys in 2004 (?) located a previously unrecorded wreck 330m south of Ardtornish Point at depths of between 115m and 130m below chart datum. The anomaly consists of a linear mound approximately 40m long and 8m wide. The presence of a curved track between the mound and the foot of the underwater cliff off Ardtornish Point supports the interpretation of the mound as a wreck. An item of debris was also identified at a depth of 97m. The wreck has been tentatively identified as the "Evelyn Rose" as the size corresponds closely with the documented measurements. Further survey by ROV would be required to positively identify the wreck. <3><4>

Sources/Archives (4)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NM 6898 4220 (39m by 28m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NM64SE
Civil Parish	MORVERN
Geographical Area	LOCHABER

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Related Investigations/Events (2)

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